"Home Burial" is a poignant exploration of a marriage eroded by grief and misunderstandings. The poem captures the raw emotions of a husband and wife struggling with the aftermath of losing their young son. Through their intense exchanges, Robert Frost illustrates the chasm that grief can create between two people who once loved each other deeply.

Discord Between Husband and Wife

The narrative unfolds with the husband returning from the family plot where he has just buried their child. As he climbs the stairs, his wife recoils from him, setting the stage for a bitter confrontation. She accuses him of emotional detachment, unable to perceive the silent grief he carries. The husband, in turn, is bewildered by her accusations, attempting clumsily to prove his shared sorrow but failing to bridge their communication gap. Their conversation spirals into threats, with the wife contemplating leaving to find consolation elsewhere, and the husband vowing to physically bring her back if she does.

Dialogues and Directions

Predominantly composed of dialogue, the poem is interspersed with descriptive segments akin to stage directions. These passages not only establish the physical dynamics between the couple but also accentuate the emotional strain through their gestures and movements. Despite not requiring a theatrical performance, the poem's dramatic nature makes it easily adaptable for the stage. It becomes evident to the reader that the couple's love is real, or at least once was, and that their discord stems not from malice but from contrasting personalities and upbringing. The husband's stoicism clashes with his wife's need for vocal expression of grief, highlighting the cultural expectations placed upon men to conceal their emotions.

Expressions of Grief

The wife's horror at her husband's vigorous digging at the gravesite reflects her inability to comprehend his way of processing grief. She views his physical labor as callous, failing to see it as a necessary outlet for his frustration. When he offhandedly mentions the decay of birch fences, she interprets it as further evidence of his insensitivity, missing its possible metaphorical link to their child's death. In her eyes, his lack of overt mourning means a lack of feeling, while his inarticulateness renders him unable to say what she needs to hear.

A Study of Misinterpretation

"Home Burial" delves into the tragic misinterpretations threatening to unravel the couple's marriage. Frost masterfully molds a slice-of-life scenario into the structure of blank verse, showcasing his skill in merging everyday speech with poetic form. At a time when modernist poets were shunning traditional verse, Frost found his own way of harmonizing meter with natural dialogue.

Ordinary People in Verse

Though "Home Burial" and other poems in North of Boston appear conventional on the page, their rhythmic underpinnings are subtly woven into the dialogue. Lines like the wife's "There you go sneering now!" and his retort "I'm not, I'm not!" exemplify Frost's ability to blend pentameter with believable discourse. By doing so, he proved that poetry could be a vessel for common folk, not just the domain of aristocratic or celestial figures as seen in the works of Shakespeare and Milton.

An Unresolved Conflict

Unlike traditional plays, Frost's dramatic poem offers no neat resolution. The wife's threat to leave hangs unresolved—will she leave, and will he, as promised, forcibly bring her back? Or will he resign himself to their impasse? Frost does not aim to resolve their marital strife but rather offers a snapshot of their anguish, inviting the audience to witness the couple's profound sorrow and frustration. His insights into the dynamics of marriage, informed by his personal experiences and observations, are laid bare, leaving readers to ponder the complexity of human emotions and relationships.